Highly educated gain more ground

In the past decade, the percentage of Americans with masters and doctoral degrees grew by more than 40 percent, while the number of Americans without a high-school diploma or equivalent shrunk. Education continues to fuel higher salaries. Among workers age 25 and older, average 2011 earnings were $59,415 for those with a bachelor’s degrees, but only $32,493 for people with only a high school diploma.